Method of making cable ends



Aug. 25, 1936.

A. RQSNER 2,051,900

METHOD OF MAKING CABLE ENDS Original Filed Dec. 10, 1932 'IIII/IIIII/llill.

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Fig A IN V ENTOR.

H004 PX/ Rom/2 I BY A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1936 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING CABLE ENDS Adolph Rosner, Rockton, 111., assignor to Bendix Brake Company, South Bend, 1nd, I. corporation of Illinois Original application December 10, 1932, Serial No. 048,727, new Patent No. 2,009,208, issued July 23, 1935.

Divided and this October 10, 1934, Serial No. 747,757-

application 8 Claim; (Ci. 29-148) This invention relates to the manufacture of a power transmission element and more particularly to methods of treating the same to sever it into sections, to form fittings on the ends of the newly formed sections, and to secure novel attachments to the ends of said sections.

An important object of the invention is to effect a separation of the cable in a manner which leaves the newly formed cable ends slightly tapered and fused into an integral mass, to obviate the flaring out or brooming of the strands that would ensue should the cable be cut by ordinary methods. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an anchor or attachment portion on the ends of the cable formed by my novel severing process and to this end the cable ends in their heated'state are upset in suitably shaped dies. The ends may also be provided with supplemental fittings by providing the cable with a sleeve and then severing and upsetting the severed ends to provide the desired end enlargements.

In carrying out my novel cutting operation either with or without the supplemental sleeve, the area to be severed is preferably clamped between spaced electrodes or other suitable clamping chucks and subsequently heated to a malleable state. The clamps are then separated with the heating continued, which results in both drawing out and fusion of the center of the tensioned area, ultimately resulting in the desired rupture.

Other features of the invention relate to various details of construction and desirable combinations of parts particularly set forth in the following descriptive matter and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of a paratu's for effecting my severing process:

Figures 2 and 3 are partial side elevations showmg respectively the twisting and ultimate severing of the cable;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the conditlon of the cable after being cut bythe usual means;

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the newly formed end of one section of the cable resulting from my novel severing process;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure 3 indicating the electrodes formed with shaping dies;

Figures '1 and 8 are longitudinal sectional views showing respectively the initial positioning of the shaping plunger and its ultimate position in shaping the cable ends; and

Figures 9 and 10 show two forms of cable ends fashioned by the invention described herein.

As disclosed in Figure l, a multi-stranded helically wound high carbon steel cable i0 is clamped by spaced relatively movable two-part electrodes 5 l2 and I4. Electrode l2, shown in the form of a split boss, is preferably rigidly secured to one end of a crooked extension l8 of a lead screw threaded into a standard 22. Electrode I4 which is stationary, is preferably supported by a standard 2| insulated at 23. A two-part refractory shield may be encircled about the cable between the clamps to obviate oxidation during the heating of the cable.

The cable to be severed is first positioned within the electrode clamps and thence threaded into an aligned insulated opening in the lead screw. A heating current of relatively high amperage and low voltage is then passed through the work which is progressively cooled by the electrodes, 20 which may be water-cooled, from points A and E, Figure l, to the geometrical center of the work. When the cable section between the electrodes is suillcientiy hot to be easily drawn, the lead screw is slowly rotated by handle 26, effecting a cam 25 tralized twisting and tensioning of the section, as shown in Figure 2.

Continued drawing reduces the cross section of the cable, which automatically increases its electrical resistance, resulting in increased heating of the reduced section. Fusion of the area of least cross section is thus quickly eifected, which results in its ultimate rupture, as indicated in Figure 3. A resultant arcing of the current also increases the temperature of the fused area to aid in effecting a homogeneous integral cable end.

A very eifective and expeditious severing process is thus carried out, resulting in a product well suited for its purposes. The slight taper made possible by the combined torsional and tensile stresses renders unnecessary any bufilng off of the irregularities of the fused end, in view of the reduced diameter thereof. The twisting retains the original tight contact or wrap of the individually tapered wire strands and in this connection it is important to note that the hand of the lead screw 20 must be such as to agree with the hand of the pitch of the cable strands to effect this result. Furthermore the fusion of the end obviates the bi-coming effect or spreading out of the tensioned helical wires of the cable which would ordinarily result with manual cutting. This result is clearly shown in Figure 4. The cable core 20 of Figure 4 is normally drawn out or tensioned by the tight wound helical cover and with ordinary 55 cutting tends to draw within the end of the cover. By my process, however, this is obviated inasmuch as the end of the core is fused with the ends of the wirev cover.

The twisting of the area to be separated mayv however be dispensed with if desired by slightly modifying the apparatus of Figure l to provide only translatory motion to the movable heating and clamping unit 12. It is also contemplated that a plurality of cables may be simultaneously severed by arranging a plurality of the heating units of Figure 1 in tandem.

The above described severing process may be employed in providing cable sections with enlarged or headed ends, which ends may then be connected by novel unions described in my Patent No. 2,009,208 or one of said enlarged ends may be secured as described in that application to one end of a lever or equivalent rigid power transmission member.

In that embodiment of my invention disclosed in Figures 6, '7 and 8, electrodes H2 and Ill are each provided with shaping dies 30 having bores shaped as desired to fashion the ultimate product. The cable is first clamped into the electrodes which may be in two parts as shown in Figure 1. The work is then heated and the electrode H2 is moved away from electrode I H in the manner described above. Elctrode Ill is preferably stationary. This results in the rupture of the cable as previously described. While the cable ends are still hot, 9. floating plunger 32 or heading die is dropped between the die members and the movable electrode ll 2 is then closed upon the plunger and stationary electrode, resulting in shaping the ends as disclosed in Figure 8. As disclosed in Figures 9 and 10, various shaped cable ends may be fashioned depending upon the respective contours of the die and plunger ends. The dies heretofore described may be watercooled so that in the process of upsetting the heated portion of the work, the cold die will bring about a quenching effect, this hardening to a certain extent the steel in the headed ends of a the cable.

While several illustrative embodiments have been described in. detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to those particular embodiments, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 646,727; filed December 10, 1932, issued July 23, 1935, as Patent No. 2,009,208 and which was a division of my application Serial No. 347,882, filed March 18, 1929.

I claim:

1. That method of forming cable ends which comprises clamping a cable in spaced chucks, said chucks being formed with shaping dies, heating the cable between said chucks, separating said chucks to rupture said cable, positioning a floating heading die between the dies and closing said chucks upon said heading die to shape the heated ends of the newly formed cable section.

2. That method of forming cable ends which comprises inserting a sleeve upon a section of cable, clamping said sleeve and cable in spaced electrodes having shaping dies thereon, heating the portion of the cable and sleeve between said electrodes by the passage of current, drawing said electrodes apart to rupture the work therebetween, positioning a heading die between the shaping dies and closing the parts together to upset and shape the heated ends of the newly formed cable sections.

3. That method of forming cable ends which comprises inserting a sleeve upon a section of cable, clamping said sleeve and cable in spaced water-cooled electrodes having shaping dies thereon, heating the portion of the cable and sleeve between said electrodes by the passage of current, drawing said electrodes apart to rupture the work therebetween, positioning a floating heading die between the shaping dies and closing the parts together to upset and shape the heated ends of the newly formed cable sections.

4. That method of forming a headed section of wound cable which comprises clamping spaced portions of a relatively long cable and heating the intermediate portion, while said intermediate portion is so heated relatively moving said clamped portions apart and simultaneously twisting at least one of them in a direction to tighten the convolutions of the cable, until the intermediate portion softens and severs, and then upset- I ting the softened end so formed to provide a head on the cable end.

5. That method of forming a headed section of wound cable which comprises clamping spaced portions of a relatively long cable and heating the intermediate portion, while said intermediate portion is so heated relatively moving said clamped portions apart and simultaneously twisting at least one ofthem in a direction to tighten the convolutions of the cable, until the intermediate portion softens and severs, and then simultaneously upsetting both of the softened ends so formed to provide heads on the cable ends.

6. That method of forming a headed section of wound cable which comprises clamping spaced portions of a relatively long cable and heating the intermediate portion, while said intermediate portion is so heated applying force tending to relatively move said clamped portions apart until the intermediate portion softens and severs, and

then upsetting the softened end so formed to provide a head on the cable end.

'I. That method of forming a section of wound cable which comprises clamping portions of a relatively long cable and heating the intermediate portion, while said intermediate portion is so heated, applying force tending to move said clamping portions apart until the intermediate portion softens and severs, and forming heads on the ends so formed.

8. That method of forming a section of helically wound cable which comprises clamping spaced portions of a relatively long cable and heating the intermediate portion, while said intermediate portion is so heated relatively moving said clamped portions apart until the intermediate portion fuses, elongates, softens, and severs, whereby the threads at the end of the cables are fused together and the diameter of the cable adjacent said end is reduced, and forming said fused-together threads at said end into a predetermined shape.

\ ADOLPH ROSNER. 

